Women Continue to be Unsafe in DRC

Following the recent conflict in the East, Congolese families find themselves stuck in overcrowded refugee camps waiting for both news and food.

Congolese women continue to bear the brunt of the outbreak as many have lost all of their belongings, including clothes and food for their children, as well as materials they use to gather wood, work as seamstresses, farm, and other means of sustenance and/or traditional female employment. The camps themselves then pose a secondary threat as overcrowding makes it that much easier to rape women and girls with no consequence.

Here is one woman’s story from the camp in Kibati (where the UN failed to bring food earlier this week):

I am a tailor; a dressmaker.

But not any more.

I left my machine at our home – my machine that I valued so much – and so if it has been stolen I cannot call myself a tailor.

What I fear most is an outbreak of disease because there are so many of us staying here, all together and so close to one another.

The other thing I really fear is rape because we are sleeping all over.

The army could rape us women. Other men could also rape us.

I ask those who are able to, to help mediate so that there can be peace. Peace is our main priority.